Day Trip to The Cotswolds

Join me for our monthly day trip where we get out of Bristol for a day of fun and adventure exploring some of nearby interesting historic towns/villages and countryside. All trips are arranged with public transport in mind but you drive over if you wish.

This month we will explore some of the towns in the north of the Cotswolds including Stow on the Wold, Lower Slaughter and Boughton on the water.

Here is some info of each

Stow on the Wold

At nearly 800ft, Stow is the highest of the Cotswold towns, located on the Roman Fosse Way and at the point where several roads meet, hence an important trading centre. It has a long history, and had a special importance in the English Civil War, the last battle was fought close by in Donnington back in 1646. St Edward’s Church, was used as a prison for the defeated Royalist troops, as it was the only lockable building in the town. Some of the damage sustained at this time can still be seen today.

Places of interest include England’s oldest Inn, the old stocks, St Edwards church with its ‘Tolkienesque’ North Door flanked by ancient yew trees and the tombstone of Captain Hastings Keyte who died at the battle of Stow. Not far away from the town centre are the old wells in Well Lane where you can view the ramparts of an Iron Age fort.

Lower Slaughter

A picturesque Cotswold village known for its idyllic scenery and charming, unspoiled limestone cottages. Though the name does sound rather macabre it actually means muddy place and is linked to the river Eye which straddles the village and also features a restored 19th-century water mill.

Bourton- on- the -Water

Bourton-on-the-Water at the heart of the Cotswolds, is famed for its five stone bridges. Dating from between 1654 and 1911, the bridges are constructed from local Cotswold stone and give the village its byname of 'Venice of the Cotswolds'. While here we have the option to visit the motoring museum and/or the model village.

We will meet at Bristol Temple Meads from 8.45 am to take a 9.00 train to Cheltenham Spa. Here we will then walk across to the Royal Wells bus station and take the Pulmans 801 bus to Stow on the Wold getting there just after 11.33 am

We will spend 2 hours in Stow on the Wold allowing time to explore and have lunch somewhere.

From 13.30 we will do a 7.1 km walk from Stow to Boughton on the water via Lower Slaughter.The route takes in farmland woodland and riverside paths with lovely views and will take around 2 hours getting us there around 15.30 pm.

We will then have around 2 hours to explore Boughton on the water before catching the 17.32 bus back to Cheltenham and train back to Bristol.

There is a fair amount of travel on this trip and an early start so be prepared for a long day out. If you plan to drive over to Stow on the Wold you can always return from Bourton-On Water by bus, taxi or on foot.